The congregants stood and milled about as everyone poured out of the tiny church.
Thomas gently reached out and tilted her chin towards him. “Are you sure you are well? Are you feeling ill?” he asked with concern.
“Just a bit nervous because I stumbled a bit in the song,” she lied.
He smiled warmly at her and offered his arm to escort her out the door. “You sang beautifully. I am incredibly proud of you.”
Rosaline blushed as she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.
He leant in closer and whispered again. “Everyone was so spellbound by your voice, I’m sure nobody even noticed that tiny slip.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back as they made their way through pews and out the door into the sunlight.
Rosaline shielded her eyes as they stepped into the throng of people talking about the service and making polite conversation with their neighbors. Her heart raced as her eyes adjusted to the light and darted around, but she couldn’t see any traces of anyone that even resembled her former employer.
Her grip tightened on Thomas’ arm and her heart stopped as she saw a top hat poking out from a group of men. The men moved and the top hat came towards her through the crowd. Just as the man was about to be revealed, a woman stepped in front of her.
“You sang beautifully, my dear,” a kind older woman congratulated her as they passed a group of people.
“Thank you,” she said distractedly as Thomas talked to the woman. The crowd parted to reveal a young man with a mustache beneath the top hat. She let out an audible sigh of relief.
As Thomas guided her through the people, her heart lightened. It had been her imagination after all. Her heart sang as she heard snippets of the conversation from the old woman and her friends.
“Such an angelic voice,” the old lady said to the group.
“Utterly lovely,” someone else agreed.
They were stopped on their way to the buckboard by the lady who organized the flowers and events in the church. “If I may have a moment of your time Rosaline? I need help with something and you are the perfect person, so please don't say no,” she said cheerfully in a torrent of words.
The lady was in her mid-thirties with light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a yellow dress with floral print and her skin was smooth and freckled over her small upturned nose.
Rosaline took a step back in uncertainty. She still had a fear of trusting strangers. Mr. Voss’ temper was so unpredictable that she could never tell from one moment to the next what he was going to be like. The lady's upfront manner took her off guard.
Thomas gently placed his hand on Rosaline's back to stop her from backing away any farther. “Good morning Jane, have you met Rosaline yet? I don’t think we've had the opportunity to do formal introductions.”
Jane lifted her hands and covered her mouth. “I'm so sorry Rosaline, you must forgive me. I tend to talk to people like I know them when we've just met. I'm Jane Smith. You may have heard that I organize all the events in the church. I most certainly know who you are! Your voice is beautiful.”
Rosaline relaxed and smiled when she felt Thomas gently press his hand into her back. “Pleased to meet you, Jane.”
Jane seemed relieved and beamed from ear to ear. “I was hoping that you would help me out and sing at the town dance next week? The ladies that usually sing have other obligations and can't make it. It would be such a shame if nobody could sing. Dances can be so flat when there are only instruments. Please say yes.”
Rosaline took a moment to take in the flurry of words. It was incredibly difficult to keep up with what this woman was saying. She didn't know how she felt about singing in front of a crowd of people outside of church. It reminded her too much of how Diederick wanted to misuse her talents.
Jane was about to begin talking again when Thomas interrupted her. “I will be playing the guitar. We could sing and play together if you like?” he asked Rosaline, and gently moved his hand up her back in reassurance.
Rosaline smiled gratefully at him. “That would be nice,” she said to Jane.
“Marvelous!” Jane clapped her hands and almost bounced with joy. “It will be so exciting. I can't wait to hear the two of you!”
They bid Jane goodbye politely and continued through the throng of people.
Thomas beamed at her as he took her hand and helped her onto the seat of the buckboard. “What did I tell you?” He winked at her before walking around to the other side and climbing up beside her.
He clucked his tongue and urged the horses on. “Utterly lovely,” he teased her as she blushed a deep red.
***
Rosaline read from the Bible as Thomas and Arthur sat across from her at the kitchen table the following week, while Robbie was comfortably drifting off in his father’s lap.
